This has been a busy and very productive year for Amateur Radio. The hard work by the volunteer IARU team over the past four years preparing for WRC19 in Sharm al Sheik, Egypt, was rewarded with Region 1 attaining access to the six meter band at last and with no losses to our other allocations.

In Region 2, our triennial General Assembly was held in Lima, Peru with 20 of our Member Societies represented. Delegates elected a new Executive, selected Buenos Aires as the location for our 2022 General Assembly, and adopted changes to our Constitution and Bylaws, updating them to meet current banking regulations. Revised Standard Operating Procedures were also introduced.

In conjunction with the General Assembly, a one-day Emergency Communications Workshop featured speakers from all parts of the Americas, sharing lessons learned and offering a rich and diverse set of perspectives. Looking forward to 2020, we are already in the planning stages of another emergency communications workshop to be held in Trinidad and Tobago in the first half of the year, specifically focused on the challenges of hurricanes in the Caribbean.

As Radio Amateurs, we share a common interest in radio communications not bounded by cultural, religious, or other designations, creating friendships across oceans, national boundaries, and other barriers. This is unique and special in a world where we often focus on the things that separate us. At this holiday time, the Executive Committee of IARU R2 offers our warmest best wishes for the coming year.

George Gorsline VE3YV, IARU R2 Secretary

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